A (Nail) Coat of Many Colors

Okay, so several weeks ago I had a Facebook friend post a photo of her recent adventure into Nail Marbling— which I had never heard of. Sure I had done some water marbling in 11th grade art class, but that was the extent of my foray into swirl art. However, apparently what works with paint also works with nail polish- and after coming across her awesome fingernails, I knew I had to try it for myself!

For those like me who have never heard of it, nail marbling is the art of swirling nail polish in water and then placing it artfully and carefully on the nail bed. However let me forewarn you that it is not quick! When I tried it it took about an hour and a half, of course, that may be a distinct quality of a nail marbling virgin. However, once you get the hang of it, it really looks awesome. Here are my tips and tricks based off of my own experience in nail marbling, followed by a video from Youtube’s Nail Marbling Queen My Simple Little Pleasures.

1.) Push your cuticles up with an orange stick and give a quick buff to smooth the nail bed.

2.) Use room temperature, filtered water in a cup big enough to comfortable rest your fingers.

3. My Simple Little Pleasures advocated taping your nail bed and fingers to avoid getting polish on them, but I’ve heard Vaseline around the nails up to the middle knuckle works well too. Don’t get it on the nail!

4.) When creating the marble, not all colors look great together and not all polishes work- some are too dense. Experiment first before committing. It’ll save you some time.

5.) Dip your nail slowly and lift it slowly, as well. If it has water on it, tap the nail on a surface to shake it off or gently dip the corner of a tissue in the bead of water to soak it up without touching the nail. Polish dries very quickly with marbling though, so be forewarned.

6.) As you’ll see in the video, after dipping the nail, she scoops the extra polish off with a spare orange stick. I didn’t see this as important until I realized that as you pull your nail back up, that second layer sometimes re-drapes itself over the nail, messing up the original design. Therefore, scrape away as instructed.

Haute in Texas is where savvy public relations meets passionate blogging influence. Owner Aquila Mendez-Valdez splits her time between the Haute in Texas blog and the Haute in Texas public relations consulting business. She writes on fashion, beauty, and motherhood, and helps her clients to achieve their business goals both online and in the community. We’re glad you’re here; come join us in the pursuit of the haute life.